Monthly Archives: June 2010

The Garia Luxury Golf Car Explored

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garia_lsv_golf_cart Every other day, we have at least a few lines written about green cars. This green mantra is growing in significance every day with the increase in pollution levels in the surroundings. Today too, we will still continue with the green talk, but with a little difference. Golf cars seem to have grabbed our attention of the day. Don’t you think golf cars can become the new standard for convenient and green transportation?

The smaller electric vehicles seem to be superb means of transportation, at least for the short trips. And, with an estimated market share of over 70 per cent by 2012 these cars will prove a point. They’ll make sure they are here to stay. These little electrical monsters more popular as NEVs (neighbourhood electric vehicles) or LSVs (low speed vehicles) are here to stay.

The latest LSV most discussed about is The Garia Luxury Golf Car. Ever heard of it? This car is manufactured at the same factory that builds the Porsche Boxster and Cayman. The luxury golf car boasts of a host of impressive features. Who wouldn’t when so much is packed in such little space? The Garia seems to carry some of the best features from some of the best cars.

Built to the highest standards of the automotive industry, The Garia features a Formula 1 inspired front suspension, a drive train built by an Italian company that also produces Ducati gearboxes, and aluminium profiles made by the same company that supplies aluminium profiles to Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo. We told you, this is an all-in-one exotic machine!

Perhaps a month or so and we will see the new luxury golf car. The Garia LSV is safe enough. Strapped inside is street legal safety equipment like seatbelts and side mirrors. It is also equipped with a hydraulic brake system. The Garia is small and cute. Don’t you think this can be the ideal vehicle for city transport? And, with tax-based incentives in many countries and an increasing number of states and countries that allow LSVs to be operated on roads with speed limits of 50km/h or less, don’t you think these can be a part of future transportation. Oh wait! LSVs no longer belong to the future market, they are the market.

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“The Garia LSV is ideal for shorter trips and recreational purposes and it is possible to drive directly from your home to, for example, the golf course. This is something many people will appreciate, and it makes The Garia LSV a unique product” says Anders Lynge, Creative Director of Garia A/S and designer of The Garia. Oh yes, the rich can flaunt their greenliness too while letting everyone know that they are going to the golf course for some recreation.

It’s is worthy to be mentioned that vehicles traditionally designed for recreational purposes are increasingly being used for non-recreational purposes. This is a very good sign though. There just a very narrow line between a golf car and an NEV/LSV. Research predicts that the number of privately owned vehicles (mainly golf cars or modified golf cars) in the U.S. will increase from 98,000 in 2006 to 118,000 units by 2012. So, we can expect India to at least begin taking the green route.

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Tata LSV to Compete With Mahindra Axe

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Tata-Armored-Personnel-Carrier-1 Here begins another face off round between the two major Indian car manufacturers, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. After all, competition has always been the common factor between the two. Don’t get your brains working yet, we are not saying that Tata Motors would be bidding for the Ssangyong Motors. This is something different altogether.

We are talking about Tata’s latest offering for the Indian defence sector, the Tata LSV (Light Specialized Vehicles), which is being seen by industry specialists as a direct competitor to Mahindra Axe. The Tata LSV was first showcased at the 2008 Defence Expo in New Delhi. Tata Motors has been developing vehicles for the Indian Armed Forces since 1958 and provides a range of military specific kit to the Indian army ranging from the humble Sumos to the all-terrain fully armoured combat vehicles.

Mahindra Axe and Tata LSV testing with the Indian Army in Snow

The Tata LSV has been well received by the Indian defence sector and they have been using it extensively. Based on the lines of India’s first HMMWV, the Mahindra Axe, Tata’s LSV looks much rugged and exudes raw power. Recently, the armoured personnel carrier has been spotted while testing around the Leh and Ladakh regions.

“Tata LSV has a payload capacity of 1.2 tones and it is versatile enough to let the Special Forces carry more weapons or soldiers depending on the situation. It gets an automatic transmission and has a top speed of 105kmph. The other specs include a whopping 255mm ground clearance and a 45 degree approach and departure angle. It can withstand temperatures ranging from -20C to 55C.”

“We have supplied the Tata LSV to the Army and the Anti Terrorism Squad and with this; Tata expands their current portfolio of defence vehicles which includes trucks, Sumos, Safaris and other similar multipurpose vehicles in 6-wheeler and 8-wheeler forms. Tata’s LSV satisfies the need of a high mobility armoured vehicle which is capable of transporting troops and artillery in case of counter insurgency operations.” An executive from Tata Motors was quoted as saying.

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Mahindra, on the other hand, is also busy with the production of the Axe for the Indian army. Industry reports have suggested that M&M is also in talks with some Gulf companies to sell its Marksman.

The Indian soldiers who play with every possible danger while fighting with terrorism & urgency can surely do well with these new vehicles like the Tata LSV and Mahindra Axe.

Tata Motors’ Defence Solutions also includes armoured Safaris and Sumos and other mine protected vehicles. There are rumours that Tata Motors would bring the Land Rover Defender to ease up the complexities of the Indian defence forces. We hope that the day comes soon.

Image Courtesy: AutocarIndia

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The Grand Bugatti Veyron Finds Owners in India

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2010-Bugatti-Veyron-16-4-Grand-Sport-in-Rome-10 There’s fresh and expensive news today. The supercar of supercars is in India. We are talking about the super-powerful Bugatti Veyron which has almost 1000 bhp under the hood. Yes folks, it’s now official that the much-awaited supercar is here. The sole distributor of Bentley and Lamborghini cars in India, Exclusive Motors, once again gets the exclusive rights for distributing the Bugatti. Bugatti’s official web site lists Exclusive Motors, called as Official Bugatti partner of New Delhi as its representative.

Our friends at BS Motoring report that the car has already been delivered a few weeks ago to a real estate tycoon in Mumbai. Unfortunately, neither anyone from Exclusive Motors nor proprietors or spokespersons from VW Group India commented on the issue when contacted. That realtor must be a supercar fanatic in the true sense, and, filthy rich and famous too. Never imagined that craze for exclusive and fast cars can drive a person so crazy that he actually goes and buys such a costly model!

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Thanks to BS Motoring for carrying out the investigation, we have more news. The web site has reported that that orders for three of these Bugatti supercars have been placed. So, one has been delivered and two more will reach the owners by end of this year. Oh sorry, it’s not ‘owners’, it’s just one owner. A business tycoon in southern India has placed an order for two Bugatti Veyrons.

Till the other day, owning a Mercedes Maybach was considered most prestigious, but not anymore. The new car is priced somewhere around Rs 16 and 17.5 Crore, depending on trim and local taxes. The Maybach was priced in the region of Rs 5.5 to 6 Crore. So, the Veyron now becomes India’s most expensive car on sale. Bugatti, whose hypercar is available in left-hand drive only has managed to convince the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to make an exception for the Veyron, paving the way for other left-hand drive only supercars to make their way into India.

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Bugatti’s facilites in Molsheim, France carve the Bugatti Veyron and what interests us more is that just 300 units of the car will be built. 250 out of 300 have already been delivered. Powered by an 8-litre 16-cylinder engine, the Veyron stirs up 989 bhp and can run from 0-100 kmph in just 2.5 seconds. Just imagine! The top speed has been measured at 407 kmph. This speed makes the Bugatti Veyron one of the fastest production hypercars on the planet.

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Hyundai Launches Verna Transform

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hyundai-verna-transform There have been plenty of us who have been complaining about the bland looks and styling of the Hyundai Verna. So, here we have now a facelifted version, called the Verna Transform, which looks much better than the previous one. Well, the transformation is not so significant to be noticed at the very first glance, but the cosmetic enhancements have gone a long way in improving the looks of the new car.

So where do we begin? The first prominent change that you would notice is the front fascia of the car. The Verna Transform gets a new pair of headlights, which look much more refined than the ones featured in the previous one, along with a new bumper. The new headlights are not only a visual delight, but also provide better illumination. The front bumper flaunts a curvier look with creases that seem to converge behind the license plate.

Another point of attraction in the Verna Transform is the cascade mesh air dam and the round fog lamps which are surrounded by black inserts. The row of LED turn indicators on the wing mirrors complete the look of the new car. The tail lamp get chrome garnish and dual tone redesigned bumper. But the absolute stunner on the rear is the new trapezoidal chrome finished exhaust tip.

There are few changes in the interiors too. Hyundaiclaims that the transformation has been brought about to enhance the convenience of the users. The instrument cluster now gets a new look with silver surround dials for the speedometer and tachometer.

As for the engine options in the Verna Transform, Hyundai has kept it totally untouched. You get to choose the new Verna in a 1.6 litre petrol and a 1.5 litre diesel engine option. The petrol engine churns out 103.2PS @ 5500rpm and 146 Nm of torque that peaks at 3000rpm, and the diesel unit makes 110PS @ 4000rpm and 236Nm between 1900 and 2750rpm. Both the engine variants are paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox, but one of the diesel variants, the 1.5 SX VGT (AT), is paired with a 4-speed automatic gearbox.

The BS IV compliant Hyundai Verna Transform has been priced in the bracket of Rs 6.55 lakh to Rs 8.38 lakh. The top-end 1.5 SX VGT (AT) is priced at Rs 9.21 lakh (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi).

Hyundai launches the Hyundai Verna Transform on Wednesday, June 23rd.

So much about the transformation of the Verna. Hyundai is equipping itself for the competition getting in the mid-segment. Volkswagen is almost ready for the launch of the Vento (Polo Sedan) and Ford is also planning to upgrade its Fiesta. Toyotawill also launch the sedan version of the upcoming hatchback Etios. Another player that will increase the competition level is the upcoming 1.6 liter variant of the Fiat Linea.

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Malaysia’s Proton Rearing To Bring Its Cars In India

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proton-black-logo Talk about Indian small car market, and you cannot avoid mentioning the magic spells that it is casting on global car manufacturers. Every other car maker wants to make a fortune here and who could blame them for wanting to do so. Everyone (well, almost) who has ventured here, has struck gold. And another car maker which wants to get a piece of the Indian market is the Malaysian carmaker Proton.

Proton has said that, in an effort to break into the booming Indian small car segment, it is in talks with an Indian automaker to manufacture its cars in India. The car maker has also revealed that it will partner Lotus, the UK high-end racing and sports car maker, to introduce a small, five-door car for the Indian and Middle East market.

Proton managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamad Tahir said, “India is a very important market. Yes, we are talking to one party. I can’t tell you who they are.”

“Yes, we are looking for an Indian partner to manufacture Proton cars,” he added.

But, that’s okay, you do not want to reveal something, so be it. We have a little information which suggests that the tentative partner for Proton may be Mahindra and Mahindra.

Syed Zainal also mentioned that Proton will collaborate with Lotus, which it owns, to manufacture a new small car that will be equipped with a 1.0- to 1.5-litre engine. “Hopefully we can produce the car in less than two years. It will be hybrid and combustion models,” he said.

Syed Zainal denied reports in India’s media that Proton was in talks with India’s Mahindra & Mahindra about a possible joint venture. “There was a discussion with Mahindra & Mahindra several years ago,” he said. Yes, we all know about the former talks that failed to work. What we also know is the current discussions that are going on between the two.

Proton had earlier tried to forge a partnership with Volkswagen but Europe’s biggest automaker scrapped talks about a possible alliance between the two car makers.

The Malaysian car maker has been looking for a collaborator to invade various foreign markets and develop models to compete with the new cars launched by the Japanese, European and Korean carmakers in its domestic market.

Proton started its operations in 1983 as a part of Malaysia’s national industrialisation plan. But, the lack of good models and poor quality has made the company suffer badly. The company’s net profit for the three months to the end of March stood at 22.8 million ringgit (6.87 million dollars), when compared to the loss of 323 million ringgit in the same period a year ago.

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Sunshine and Hong Guang – The SAIC-GM-Wuling Cars in India

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Sunshine In one of our blog posts today, we just told you about the Chevy Sail. But, that’s not the only one rushing into the Indian market. Yes, here’s more. The Indian car buyer wants more and the very same GM-SAIC joint venture that’ll bring in the Sail, and the three-way SGMW (Saic GM Wuling) joint venture will give us more.

Just think of a six-seven seater in the under-Rs. 6 Lakh bracket. The Maruti Suzuki Eeco and Omni are the only two that one can think of. There are the Taveras, Innovas and Xylos, but they are bigger and pricier. So, after the season of small green cars, affordable people movers are predicted to be the next market movers. And, the real big moves are going to come from China’s Saic-GM-Wuling joint venture. We may have pickups and cargo trucks gushing in. For now, let’s discuss the two most interesting people movers that may see the Indian roads.

The Sunshine which is as big as the Maruti Suzuki Eeco is SGMW’s best seller in China. Around 600,000 units were sold last year. This van has been designed to lure the first-time car buyer who needs a real roomy vehicle. The Sunshine flaunts two petrol variants in China, but in India it may carry a derivative of the 1.2-litre petrol version. Yes, that’s the Chevrolet Beat engine. It may also come with a three-cylinder diesel engine that the Beat will get by December.

The other advantage would be the excise duty benefit. The Sunshine, just less than 4m in length, qualifies as a small car. The Sunshine’s cabin is functional and basic. The seats offer just the right comfort though they may be a little firm for long journeys. But at the moment, what more can one expect for such a low price? The Sunshine may carry a tag of Rs. 4-5 Lakh. That’s what we call more for less, a roomier ride for less.

The second car that excites us is the larger, better-equipped Hong Guang. This car matches the Mahindra Xylo in size and function. China witnessed the Hong Guang’s launch just in April at the Auto China Show. We have written about this Hong Guang coming to India earlier, remember?

Like the Xylo, the Hong Guang has a body-on-frame design and not monocoque where the body and frame is one unit. The seating space on the Hong Guang is for seven people. Flexibility personified; luggage and seating capacity can be increased or decreased based on need. The second and third rows of seats can fold flat or be removed entirely.

Wuling Hong Guang

Currently Wuling has no diesel options. But India, will most likely see a 1.3-litre engine Hong Guang that GM is going to produce at its upcoming engine plant in India. It will be the Fiat multi-jet engine licensed by GM; the same motor that goes into the Punto, Linea, Indica Vista and Indigo Manza. The 1.3-litre engine may seem inadequate, but it’s not. For this beast, the Hong Guang, expect prices between Rs 6-8 Lakh.

GM-Saic has high hopes for this vehicle. Will it wear the Chevrolet badge? Let’s wait and see. While we see how busy GM is, the others are not sitting idle. Maruti Suzuki is set to begin producing its concept car, the seven-seater RIII MPV which may fall in the Rs 5-7 Lakh range. M&M too is believed to be working on a new car in the same segment, a mini-Xylo which will have a shorter wheelbase and minus the third row of seats. This again may come with an aggressive price tag.

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Ford India To Launch Another small car And Figo Based SUV

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Ford-Figo1 Well, the Figo has raced past every other previous record of the company and the mood in the Ford camp happens to be celebratory. After a long period of boring sales charts, the success of the Fiesta and Figo has brought back the old candour of the American car maker. Let’s find out what’s new with Ford Motors in India.

We have got information from reliable sources that Ford is planning to launch another small car in the Indian market. And this new car would be smaller than the Figo in India. But is that where the car maker draw the line? Apparently no. Ford is working on developing a compact sports utility vehicle (SUV), which will be based on the Figo. Another one joining the list is a hatchback version of Fiesta which might finally see the light of the day in India.

Sources close to the company have revealed that the small car project is code named ‘B156’ and the marketing for the same would begin by 2011. Within just three months of its launch, Ford has sold more than 16,000 units of the Figo, which happens to be the only small car in the Indian market.

Additionally, Ford also has another 21,000 for the Figo Ford seems to be playing its cards really well. The proposed entry of Ford in the compact SUV segment appears to be timed well. SUV king of India, Mahindra and Mahindra is rumoured to be fiddling with the idea of developing a vehicle in this segment. Other car makers in India have shown a similar kind of enthusiasm for the compact SUV segment.

A Ford spokesperson earlier said, “We will be launching a new product every 12-18 months and would not like to speculate on our future product strategy. We are focussed on meeting the growing demands of the Figo and starting our export program soon. We will continue to explore opportunities across segments to bring products in India that consumers want and desire.”

But Ford India managing director Michael Boneham had earlier revealed that after having seen economies of scale with the Figo, his company has already started working on another small car.

“As a policy, we do not develop any car for a single market so this is being developed on a global platform…we need to have multiple products in the small car space,” Boneham had said.

Bold, Exciting New-Generation Ford Fiesta Revealed at Auto China

Now the big question is: Will the upcoming small car, with the assistance of the Figo, turn Ford into a mainstream player in the Indian passenger car market. Ford currently has a share of 2.5-3% in the Indian market, even below General Motors.

Along with China, India has become the land of immense promise for the American car maker.

The small car strategy of Ford is very important for the company. If it works, it will not only gain a majority share in the domestic market, but will also help the company utilise its Indian base for exporting these fuel efficient and less expensive vehicles to other Asian markets.

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Chevy Sail May Be Introduced in India

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new-chevrolet-sets-sail-for-china Ever heard of the Sail compact sedan? The Sail was recently introduced by SAIC-GM at Auto China 2010. The good news is that this new car may come to India. Thanks to Shanghai GM, the Sail is the first passenger car created in China by a Sino-foreign joint venture. Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), both GM-SAIC joint ventures, introduced the car and we’ve heard that the new Sail, apart from being sold in China, will also be exported to other emerging markets.

In India, it may cost somewhere around Rs. 5-7 Lakh and would compete with the likes of Tata Indigo Manza, Hyundai Accent and Maruti Swift Dzire. Speculation says that a hatchback version of the Sail may also gradually be introduced in India. Unfortunately, GM India is not saying anything yet. The car maker says that it does not disclose its product details for competitive reasons.

The new Sail is available with a choice of class-leading 1.2-liter S-TEC II and 1.4-liter S-TEC III engines in China. The 1.2-litre delivers an impressive 17.5 kmpl mileage while power of 71.2 bhp is generated. 12.9 seconds are sufficient to watch the car leap from 0-100 km/h. The 1.4-liter engine delivers 72.8 bhp and can run 0-100 km/h in 11.9 seconds. The mileage is 16.9 kmpl. The engines sport the Variable Geometry Intake System for smooth power delivery and torque across all engine speeds. Lightweight materials further increase fuel efficiency. Both engines meet the Euro IV standard and can be upgraded to meet China’s Phase V emission standard.

These engines are mated to five-speed manual transmissions for smooth gear shifts. With the large windshield, seats designed for local users and no-blind-spot rear-view mirror, the driver and passengers can be sure of safe and convenient drives. The New Sail is sporty, enjoyable to drive and offers good value for money.

Coming to the car’s appearance, the new Sail carries Chevrolet’s trademark horizontal split grille with the gold Chevrolet emblem showcased in the middle. The car gets its sporty edge from the unique short-in-front, long-in-back suspension. The car’s streamlined shape adds a dynamic styling element while reducing drag for lower fuel consumption. Currently, the car comes in six peppy colours: Crescent Silver, Jasmine White, Sky Blue, Coral Red, Amber Orange and Starfish Blue.

Now for the interiors, they are typically Chevrolet. The Sail features the Chevy twin-cockpit design and a modern central control panel fully equipped with a radio, CD player and MP3 interface. The double-digital screen and chrome plating add the sporty touch to the interiors. Five adults can easily fit into this car.

The New Sail is likely to get four stars in the China New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) testing. Its safety cage construction with crumple zones makes the car a safety package. The steel frame around the fuel tanks adds to the safety. Dual air bags, a retractable steering column, ABS with EBD and many more features ensure safety.

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Nissan Micra To be Launched On July 14th

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Nissan Micra Nissan has earlier launched a few new models in India, but we do not encounter them very often on the roads. But come this July and things will change, once and for ever. Yes, come this July and the wheels of fortune will turn in favour of this Japanese car maker when it launches its first compact car Micra in India on the 14th of July.

The company has revealed in a statement that the new Micra will be launched nationwide on the 14th of this July. And the place of honour from where the car would be rolled out would be the company’s recently inaugurated facility at Oragadam near Chennai.

Nissan opened the bookings for the hatchback Micra in May and since then the car has received an amazing response from the Indian car buyers. Micra, which flaunts a cute and cheerful design, has so far managed to receive orders for 1,049 units.

“We are delighted with this encouraging initial response. With the launch of the new Nissan Micra next month, Nissan will begin an exciting journey in India aiming to provide Indian customers with a full range of products and services,” Nissan Motor India Managing Director and CEO Kiminobu Tokuyama said. Last month, Nissan Motor India launched a Bollywood based brand endorsement strategy by bringing in Ranbir Kapoor as the brand ambassador for all its products in India.

Nissan has announced that the company will produce 80,000 units of the new Micra, for both domestic and export markets, in its first year. The Nissan Micra will be exported to more than 100 countries across the globe, including Europe, Middle-East and Africa, by later half of 2010. Also, the new Micra will be manufactured in five countries altogether including Thailand, India, China and Mexico. The company is yet to decide on the manufacturing base for the fifth unit.

The Japanese car manufacturing giant had earlier announced that it was intending to sell 1,00,000 vehicles in India by 2013. And to support this target, Nissan will launch nine new models in the next two years, including the sedan version of the new Micra.

Competitive pricing seems to be one major trick to beat the others in the race. The Nissan Micra base version has been priced below the tag of Rs 4 lakh. The new Micra hatch, which is equipped with a 1.2 litre petrol engine, will compete with some of the very established hatches in the Indian market, including Maruti’s Swift, Hyundai’s i10 and i20, which are priced in the Rs 3.44 lakh and Rs 6.95 lakh bracket.

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On a different note, there is another big thing planned for this July. Another Japanese car maker, Toyota, will launch the Corolla Altis Dieselon 21st July, 2010, with the 1.4 Liter D-4D engine. The Toyota Corolla Altis Diesel will be sold at a price which is an additional INR 1 Lakh over its petrol variant. While the diesel Altis will be mostly a xerox of the petrol variant of the same, there are a few new things such as six speed manual gearbox. The Corolla Altis diesel boasts of an ARAI certified fuel efficiency which is a whopping 21.43 kmpl.

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JLR to Double Sales Outlets in India within this Fiscal

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tata-jaguar-land-rover Towards the end of March 2010, Jaguar Land Rover had opened a new dealership in New Delhi. Tata Motors’ Premium Car Division had publicized the appointment of AMP Motors as the new Jaguar Land Rover dealership in New Delhi. JLR’s first flagship store is in Mumbai which was opened in June 2009, and Delhi houses two showrooms. The car maker now has plans of doubling the sales outlets in the country.

JLR, which currently has three dealerships at two cities in India, has just said that it will add four more outlets in 2010-11. Isn’t that great news? In the course of the year, the car maker will open showrooms in Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Chennai and Bangalore.

Jaguar Land Rover believes that India is a high potential market. The President of the Passenger Car Business unit of Tata Motors, Rajiv Dube had earlier said that the Delhi NCR region was a key market for premium cars and SUVs. Tata Motors was very happy to set up its marks for both the iconic brands, Jaguar and Land Rover through the new dealership in the capital city. Most of JLR’s sales come from the bigger cities and soon we can be sure that there will be more outlets in more cities.

The company sells the entire range of JLR products in India such as XF, XKR and XJ from Jaguar, and Range Rover and Discovery 4 from Land Rover‘s portfolio. JLR had sold 242 units in 2009-10. The company had pushed most of the volumes from its flagship store in Mumbai.

The Delhi showrooms which were opened in March this year were set up by AMP Motors. The first one is a centrally located boutique showroom at the premium Janpath area across Hotel Le Meridien. The second one is an integrated ‘3S’ facility at Mathure Road offering Sales, Service and Spares. Both these facilities have been designed and built as per the latest Corporate and Dealer Identity Guidelines of Jaguar and Land Rover.

JLR, however, has not disclosed any sales target for this fiscal saying that the company does not make volume planning assumptions public. Ever since the financial recession hit major car markets like the U.S. and Europe, car makers have started focusing more on emerging markets like India and China. Tata confesses that while many of the markets in which JLR operates experienced negative GDP growth, strong growth continued in China, India and South America. Right now, Tata will be focusing on emerging markets and environmental technologies.

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After China, which registered 46 per cent jump in 2009-10, India emerges as the second fastest growing auto market after witnessing over 26 per cent rise from the previous year. While China sold 13.6 million units last year, U.S. managed to sell just 10.4 million vehicles. JLR now plans to set up a national sales company in China to hasten its expansion in the world’s fastest growing car market.

JLR has other plans too. In the near future, the company may increase its sourcing from low-cost countries like China and India to reduce input costs. To facilitate the sourcing, the company had opened purchasing offices in India and China in 2009. In September last year, JLR had announced a decade-long new business strategy that would see 800 million pounds investment going for developing eco-friendly products.

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